Injection molded lid

ABSTRACT

An injection molded lid ( 100 ) for use with a container, which includes a lid body ( 110 ) and a securing member ( 150 ). The lid body ( 110 ) includes a cover portion ( 120 ) and a flange portion( 130 ). One side wall ( 134 ) of the flange portion has one or more notches ( 138 ). The securing member ( 150 ) includes a frame ( 152 ) and at least one tab ( 154 ). The tab ( 154 ) covers the notch. The securing member ( 150 ) provides extra fastening strength that prevents the spillage or leakage of the content within the container.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

The present disclosure relates to a lid for use with a container; andmore particularly to a lid having a securing member for reducing oreliminating the likelihood of the contents of the container fromspilling, leaking, or dripping.

2. Description of Related Art

In the modern setting, many foods, such as beverages, are consumed intransit, thereby creating the need for disposable, or single-use,containers and lids. Disposable containers are often made from papers,cardboards, plastics, or laminated materials; whereas the lids aremostly made of plastics. During the storage period, the containers andlids usually suffer from deformation due to the environmentaltemperature and relative humidity levels or fluctuations. However, sincethe container and the lid are often made of different materials (or inthe case where both the container and the lid are made of the sameplastic, have different shapes and sizes), the deformation level of thetwo under the same storage condition may not match each another. Thisdifference of the deformation level may result in certain imperfectionsor flaws in the connection interface between the container and lid, andhence, the liquid (e.g., beverage) in the container tends to seepthrough these imperfections or flaws, thereby causing the leaking ordipping. This problem is more common while the containers and lids arestored after a certain storage period, in particular, in humidenvironment or harsh weathers.

To ensure that the container and the lid forms a tight closure evenafter a substantial storage period in various storage conditions, mostmanufactures for disposable containers and lids adopts very stringentmanufacturing requirements covering the source, supplier andspecification of the raw materials, processing procedures, as well asthe specification of the final products. In many cases, the buying partywould even require that both the containers and lids to be manufacturedby the same manufacturer to reduce the tolerance between the containersand lids.

Further, the body of most disposable containers is not very rigid,meaning that the body of such container tends to deform while theconsumer is gripping or even squeezing the body of the container orwhile the container is knocked over. In these cases, the lid mayseparate from the container, thereby causing liquid spillage. Of course,there are many additional scenarios where a container covered with a lidfails to prevent the content within the container from spilling,leaking, or dripping therefrom.

In view of the foregoing, consumers, while handling the container orconsuming the food (in particular, beverage) in the container, stillexperience spillage or leakage from time to time. Accordingly, thereexists a need in the related art for providing a lid capable ofminimizing or reducing spillage, leakage, or drippage of the content ina container.

SUMMARY

The following presents a simplified summary of the present disclosure inorder to provide a basic understanding to the reader. This summary isnot an extensive overview of the disclosure and it does not identifykey/critical elements of the present invention or delineate the scope ofthe present invention. Its sole purpose is to present some conceptsdisclosed herein in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detaileddescription that is presented later.

In some aspects, the present disclosure is directed to a lid forproviding a tight closure for a container having an upper openingdefined by a rim. In particular, the present lid is manufactured byinjection molding, and is provided with a securing member so that whenthe lid is fit over the rim of the container, the securing memberprovides extra fastening strength that prevents or reduces the spillage,leakage, and/or drippage of the content within the container.

According to the first aspect of the present disclosure, the injectionmolded lid comprises a lid body and a securing member, respectively madeof a first material and second material. The lid body comprises a coverportion and a flange portion disposed around the periphery of the coverportion for fitting over the rim of the container. The flange portioncomprises a first side wall and a second side wall. The first side wallis connected with the periphery of the cover portion. The second sidewall has at least one notch disposed thereon and comprises at least onebulge disposed at the inner surface thereof for engaging the injectionmolded lid with the rim of the container. The securing member comprisesa frame and at least one tab. The frame connects the upper sides of thefirst and the second side walls. The tab extends downwardly from theframe along the outer surface of the second side wall and covers thenotch.

Alternatively, in the second aspect, the injection molded lid comprisesa lid body and a securing member, respectively made of a first materialand second material. The lid body comprises a cover portion and a flangeportion disposed around the periphery of the cover portion for fittingover the rim. The flange portion comprises a first side wall, a secondside wall, and a top wall comprising at least one slit disposed thereon.The first side wall is connected with the periphery of the coverportion. The second side wall comprises at least one notch disposedthereon and at least one bulge disposed at the inner surface thereof forengaging the injection molded lid with the rim of the container.Together, the top wall, the first side wall, and the second side walldefine an interior space. The securing member comprises a frame, atleast one tab, and at least one extension part. The frame is disposedwithin the interior space and adjoins at least the top wall. Theextension part extends from the frame through the slit and rests on thetop wall. The tab extends downwardly from the extension part along theouter surface of the second side wall and convers the notch.

In the third aspect, the present injection molded lid comprises a lidbody and a securing member. The lid body comprises a cover portion and aflange portion disposed around the periphery of the cover portion forfitting over the rim. The flange portion comprises a first side wall, asecond side wall and a top wall, in which the inner surfaces of thefirst and the second side walls and the top wall define an interiorspace, the first side wall is connected with the periphery of the coverportion, and the second side wall comprises at least one notch disposedthereon. The securing member comprises a frame and at least one tab. Theframe is disposed within the interior space and adjoins at least the topwall of the flange portion of the lid body. The tab extends downwardlyfrom the frame along the inner surface of the second side wall, and thelower edge of the tab is disposed across the bottom opening of thenotch. The tab further comprises at least one bulge for engaging theinjection molded lid with the rim of the container.

In optional embodiments, the second side wall of the lid body comprisesa plurality of the notches. In optional embodiments, the securing membercomprises a plurality of the tabs. Still optionally, the number of thenotch is equal to the number of the tab. Alternatively, at least one tabis configured to cover two or more notches.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the firstmaterial and the second material are different materials with a samecolor or different colors. Alternatively, the first material and thesecond material are the same material but with different colors. Forexample, each of the first material and the second material ispolystyrene (PS), copolymers of carboxylic acid monomers with ethylene,polystyrene-acrylonitrile (PSAN), acrylonitrile-butadiene styrene (ABS),stryrene-maleicanhydride (SMA), cellulose ethers, polycarbonate (PC),polyethylene (PE), polyamides, polyethylene terephthalate (PET),polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyvinylcyclohexane,phenoxy type thermoplastic polymer, polyolefins, phenoxy-polyolefinthermoplastic blends, thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), silicone, orultra-low density polyethylene (ULPDE) resin, or copolymers or blendsthereof. Common thermoplastic elastomers includes, but are not limitedto, styrenic thermoplastic elastomer (TPS), thermoplastic rubber (TPR),thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO), thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU),thermoplastic vulcanizate (TPV), and thermoplastic polyester elastomer(TPEE). In certain embodiments, the second material is preferably TPE,silicone, or ULPDE resin. In certain embodiments of the presentdisclosure, the first material is polypropylene and the second materialis thermoplastic polyurethane.

In some optional embodiments, the lid body further comprises a patternlayer disposed on the outer surface of the cover portion. The patternlayer is made from the first material, the second material, or a thirdmaterial, or a combination thereof. Illustrative third materialcomprises thermoplastic materials (such as, PP, PE, PVC and silicone)comprising a theremochromic material.

In optional embodiments of the present disclosure, the lid body furthercomprises one or more access holes disposed on the cover portion. Stilloptionally, the lid body further comprises a cap connected to the coverportion and configured to cover the access hole, wherein at least oneportion of the cap is separable from the cover portion to expose theaccess hole. Additionally, the present injection molded lid may furthercomprise a cap rim disposed along at least one portion of the peripheryof the cap for separably connecting the portion of the periphery of thecap with at least one portion of the periphery of the access hole. Incertain embodiments, the thickness of the cap rim is smaller than thethickness of the cap. Alternatively or additionally, the cap is made ofthe first material and the cap rim is made of the second material.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the cap furthercomprises a ridge. Still optionally, the cover portion may furthercomprise a receptacle configured to accommodate the ridge.

In some optional embodiments, the injection molded lid may furthercomprise an air hole disposed on the lid body.

Regarding the injection molded lid according to the second aspect of thepresent disclosure, the extension part of securing member may optionallyextend along a portion of the periphery of the top wall.

In the cases where the tab extends along the inner surface of the secondside wall, the inner surface of the second side wall may optionallycomprise at least one recessed area, and at least a portion of the tabis disposed in the recessed area. Alternatively or additionally, theflange portion may further comprise at least one pair of ribs, in whicheach rib is disposed at one side of the notch and along the longitudinaldirection of the second side wall, and the two sides of the tab isdisposed in the paired ribs.

For the injection molded lid according to the third aspect of thepresent disclosure, the second side wall may optionally comprise atleast one bulge disposed at the inner surface thereof for engaging theinjection molded lid with the rim of the container.

In another aspect, the present disclosure is directed to a container andlid assembly that comprises a container and an injection molded lidaccording to any of the above-mentioned aspects and/or embodiments ofthe present disclosure.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, thecontainer comprises a container body, a rim disposed at the top andalong the periphery of the container body, and an upper opening definedby the rim. The present injection molded lid, when used with thecontainer, facilitates the placement of the lid onto the container, andprovides a tighter closure therebetween.

Many of the attendant features and advantages of the present disclosurewill becomes better understood with reference to the following detaileddescription considered in connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present description will be better understood from the followingdetailed description read in light of the accompanying drawings, where:

FIG. 1A is a schematic diagram illustrating a container and lid assemblyaccording to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 1B is an exploded view illustrating the lid body and securingmember of the injection molded lid of FIG. 1A;

FIG. 1C is a top view illustrating the injection molded lid of FIG. 1A;

FIG. 1D is a bottom view illustrating the injection molded lid of FIG.1A;

FIG. 1E is a cross-sectional view of the injection molded lid takenalong the line 1E-1E in FIG. 1A;

FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B are schematic diagrams respectively illustrating thecup rims according to two optional embodiments of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 3A is a schematic diagram illustrating an injection molded lidaccording to another embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3B is an exploded view illustrating the lid body and securingmember of the injection molded lid of FIG. 3A;

FIG. 3C is a top view illustrating the injection molded lid of FIG. 3A;

FIG. 3D is a bottom view illustrating the injection molded lid of FIG.3A;

FIG. 4A is a schematic diagram illustrating an injection molded lidaccording to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4B is an exploded view illustrating the lid body and securingmember of the injection molded lid of FIG. 4A; and

FIG. 4C is a cross-sectional view of the injection molded lid takenalong the line 4C-4C in FIG. 4A.

In accordance with common practice, the various describedfeatures/elements are not drawn to scale but instead are drawn to bestillustrate specific features/elements relevant to the present invention.Also, like reference numerals and designations in various drawings areused to indicate like elements/parts.

DESCRIPTION

The detailed description provided below in connection with the appendeddrawings is intended as a description of the present examples and is notintended to represent the only forms in which the present embodimentsmay be constructed or utilized. The description sets forth thestructures and/or functions of the embodiments and/or the sequence ofsteps for constructing and/or operating the embodiments. However, thesame or equivalent functions and sequences may be accomplished by otherembodiments.

For convenience, certain terms employed in the specification, examplesand appended claims are collected here. Unless otherwise defined herein,scientific and technical terminologies employed in the presentdisclosure shall have the meanings that are commonly understood and usedby one of ordinary skill in the art. Unless otherwise required bycontext, it will be understood that singular terms shall include pluralforms of the same and plural terms shall include the singular.Specifically, as used herein and in the claims, the singular forms “a”and “an” include the plural reference unless the context clearlyindicates otherwise. Also, as used herein and in the claims, the terms“at least one” and “one or more” have the same meaning and include one,two, three, or more.

Notwithstanding that the numerical ranges and parameters setting forththe broad scope of the invention are approximations, the numericalvalues set forth in the specific examples are reported as precisely aspossible. Any numerical value, however, inherently contains certainerrors necessarily resulting from the standard deviation found in therespective testing measurements. Also, as used herein, the term “about”generally means within 10%, 5%, 1%, or 0.5% of a given value or range.Alternatively, the term “about” means within an acceptable standarderror of the mean when considered by one of ordinary skill in the art.Other than in the operating/working examples, or unless otherwiseexpressly specified, all of the numerical ranges, amounts, values andpercentages such as those for quantities of materials, durations oftimes, temperatures, operating conditions, ratios of amounts, and thelikes thereof disclosed herein should be understood as modified in allinstances by the term “about.” Accordingly, unless indicated to thecontrary, the numerical parameters set forth in the present disclosureand attached claims are approximations that can vary as desired. At thevery least, each numerical parameter should at least be construed inlight of the number of reported significant digits and by applyingordinary rounding techniques. Ranges can be expressed herein as from oneendpoint to another endpoint or between two endpoints. All rangesdisclosed herein are inclusive of the endpoints, unless specifiedotherwise.

Throughout the present disclosure, the term “container” is intended toinclude any article, receptacle, or vessel utilized for storing,dispensing, packaging, or portioning items. Examples of such containersinclude, but are not limited to, boxes, cups, jars, bottles, bowls,plates, cartons, cases, crates, dishes, or other types of holders. Theterm “disposable container” as used in this specification and theappended claims refers to a container that has the characteristicstypically associated with disposable materials. However, the use of theterm “disposable” does not mean that the container must necessarily onlybe a single-use container and that it be discarded after only one use.According to certain embodiments of the present disclosure, thecontainer is used to hold foods, including beverages.

As used herein, the term “injection molded” is used to modify an article(such as, a lid) that is made by injection molding techniques describedherein. The term “injection molding” refers broadly to any technique forinjecting one or more material (injectant) into a mold to produce anarticle with the desired shape or configuration. Non-limiting examplesof materials suitable to be used as the injectant include thermoplasticpolymers, thermosetting polymers, elastomers, metals, glasses, andceramics.

The present disclosure aims to improve the coupling of a lid and acontainer by providing a novel injection molded lid with a securingmember. Accordingly, in one aspect, the present disclosure is directedto an injection molded lid with a securing member for minimizing orreducing spillage, leakage, or drippage of the content in a containerwhen the lid is fitted over the container. Further, also falls withinthe scope of the present disclosure is a container and lid assembly thatcomprises the above-mentioned injection molded lid and a container.

As could be appreciated, the present container and lid assemblycomprises a container and an injection molded lid. The container has acontainer body and a rim, in which the rim is disposed at the top andalong the periphery of the container body and defines an upper openingof the container.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, thecontainer may have any desired cross-sectional shape, such as, circular,oval, polygonal, or irregular shape. The present injection molded lid isintended to be fitted over the container to cover the opening of thecontainer and prevent the content held in the container body from comingout of the container easily, and accordingly, the cross-sectional shapeof the injection molded lid should substantially match that of thecontainer.

Regarding the structure of the present injection molded lid, itcomprises a lid body made of a first material and a securing member madeof a second material. Generally, the lid body comprises a cover portionand a flange portion disposed around the periphery of the cover portionfor fitting over the rim. Also, the securing member comprises a frameand at least one tab.

In the first aspect, the flange portion of the lid body comprises afirst side wall and a second side wall, in which the upper sides of thefirst and a second side walls are connected by the frame of the securingmember, the first side wall is connected with the periphery of the coverportion, while the second side wall has at least one notch disposedthereon and comprises at least one bulge disposed at the inner surfacethereof for engaging the injection molded lid with the rim of thecontainer. The tab of the securing member extends downwardly from theframe along the outer surface of the second side wall and covers thenotch.

In the second aspect, the flange portion of the lid body comprises afirst side wall, a second side wall, and a top wall. The first side wallis connected with the periphery of the cover portion. The top wallconnects the first and the second side walls, thereby defining aninterior space; also, the top wall comprising at least one slit disposedthereon. The second side wall has at least one notch disposed thereonand comprises at least one bulge disposed at the inner surface thereoffor engaging the injection molded lid with the rim of the container. Theframe of the securing member is disposed within the interior space andadjoins the top wall. The securing member also comprises at least oneextension part, which extends from the frame through the slit and restson the top wall. The tab extends downwardly from the extension portionalong the outer surface of the second side wall and convers the notch.

In the third aspect, the flange portion comprises a first side wall, asecond side wall, and a top wall. The first side wall is connected withthe periphery of the cover portion. The top wall connects the first andthe second side walls, thereby defining an interior space. The secondside wall has at least one notch disposed thereon. The frame of thesecuring member is disposed within the interior space and adjoins atleast the top wall of the flange portion of the lid body. The tabextends downwardly from the frame along the inner surface of the secondside wall in which the lower edge of the tab is disposed across thebottom opening of the notch. Further, the tab comprises at least onebulge for engaging the injection molded lid with the rim of thecontainer.

As could be appreciated by persons having ordinary skill in the art,many variations or modifications could be made to the above-mentionedbasic structures of the present injection molded lids and the containerand lid assembly for functional, aesthetic, and/or economic purpose(s).

For example, one purpose of the rim of the container is for engagingwith the injection molded lid. In one example, the rim is a frame-likestructure of a certain thickness that disposed around the peripheral ofthe container body at the top. However, the shape and the dimension ofthe rim may vary depending on the need(s) of the manufacturer, buyingparty, and/or consumer, as long as the structure of the rim allows theengagement with the present injection molded lid. In various optionalembodiments, the upper surface of the rim may be curved or flat. Also,the surface at the side periphery of the rim can be curved, flat, orotherwise patterned. Still optionally, the lower edge of the rim mayincline toward or away the container body or parallel the containerbody.

As to the cover portion of the lid body, the uppermost point (orsurface) of the cover portion may be disposed above, below, or levelwith the top wall of the flange portion. Further, the cover portion maygenerally have a frustoconical, cylindrical, hemispherical, or any othersuitable shape. Also, the cover portion may be configured to have one ormore elevated, recessed, slope area, or any combination of the above.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the lid bodyof the injection molded lid may comprise one or more notches disposed onthe second side wall. For example, the injection molded lid may haveone, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, or morenotches disposed on the second side wall of the flange portion thereof.Preferably, these notches are spaced equidistantly around the peripheryof the flange portion. The notch on the second side wall of the flangeportion may be shaped into an arc, triangular, quadrilateral (e.g.,rectangular, trapezoid, or parallelogrammatic), or S shape, or anydesired shape. The design of the notch provides flexibility for placingthe present injection molded lid onto the container so that the user mayclose the container single-handedly.

One purpose of the tab is to prevent the formation of slits from thenotch, thereby enhancing the structural integrity of the lid body.Accordingly, in some embodiments, the tab covers the opening of thenotch; while in some other cases, the width of the lower edge of the tabis no shorter than the width of the bottom opening of the notch suchthat the lower edge of the tab is configured to be disposed across thebottom opening of the notch. The tab can be formed as a flat piece or aframe, and the shape of the tab may or may not match the shape of thenotch.

Another purpose of the tab is to provide a securing means that improvesthe engagement between the present lid and the container. This could beachieved by one or more of the following means. For example, the surfaceof the tab that is to be in contact with the rim of the container may bedesigned to have one or more bulges for such engagement. Alternativelyor additionally, the tab may be injected molded by an elastic material;in this way, while putting the present injection molded lid onto thecontainer, the elastic tab may be stretched slightly thereby resultingthe expansion of the notch opening to facilitate the placement of thepresent lid onto the container, and after the placement of the lid, theelastic tab may return to its original dimension which in turn tightensthe engagement with the container. Either way, the overall tightness ofthe present injection molded lid with the container may be improved,which prevents leakage when the container is not upright and which doesnot disengage upon being subjected to forces that may be incurred duringcertain uses, such as dropping, tipping, falling or squeezing of thecontainer/lid with a liquid or the like therein.

As discussed above, one or more notches may be disposed at the flangeportion of the lid body. Similarly, the securing member may have one ormore tabs. In certain embodiments, the number of the notch is equal tothe number of the tab. Alternatively, at least one tab may be configuredto cover two or more notches.

Each tab may be optionally disposed with one or more bulges thatfacilitate the engagement of the present injection molded lid with therim of the container. Similarly, the inner surface of the second sidewall of the flange portion may be disposed with one or more bulges forengaging with the rim of the container. In some cases, both the tab andthe second side wall may have the bulge.

According to certain embodiments of the present disclosure, when the tabis disposed at the inner surface of the second side wall of the flangeportion, the inner surface of the flange that is in contact with the tabis recessed in relative to the inner surface of the second side wallthat is not in contact with the tab, thereby forming a recessed area foraccommodating at least a portion of the tab. In this way, the contactingsurface of the tab (i.e., the surface configured to be in contact withthe rim of the container) is level with the inner surface of the secondside wall that is not in contact with the tab.

According various optional embodiments, the lid body further comprisesat least one pair of ribs, in which each rib is disposed at each side ofthe notch and along the longitudinal direction of the second side wall.The inner surface of the rib is recessed in relative to the innersurface of the remainder of the second side wall, thereby forming arecessed area to accommodate the two sides of the tab.

As discussed above, the lids according to various embodiments of thepresent disclosure are prepared by injection molding. Injection moldingis a manufacturing process in which the injectant is heated until itbecomes pliable and then injected into a mold cavity, where it cools andhardens to the configuration of the cavity. Common injectants includingmetals, glasses, elastomers, and thermoplastic and thermosettingpolymers. According to various embodiments of the present disclosure,the injectants for manufacturing the present injection molded lid may beelastomers, thermoplastic polymers, or thermosetting polymers.

In particular, the present lid comprises two portions (i.e., the lidbody and the securing member) that are injected molded by a firstmaterial and a second material, respectively. According to variousembodiments of the present disclosure, the first material and the secondmaterial can be different materials with a same color or differentcolors, or the same material with different colors. For example, the lidbody may be prepared by hard thermoplastic materials such aspolypropylene while the securing member may be prepared by an elastomer.Preferably, at least one of the first and second materials is a foodgrade material according to certain embodiments of the presentdisclosure. Still optionally, at least one of the first and secondmaterials may be a biodegradable material.

In some embodiments, each of the first material and the second materialmay be any of the following: polystyrene (PS), copolymers of carboxylicacid monomers with ethylene, polystyrene-acrylonitrile (PSAN),acrylonitrile-butadiene styrene (ABS), stryrene-maleicanhydride (SMA),cellulose ethers, polycarbonate (PC), polyethylene (PE), polyamides,polyethylene terephthalate, polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride(PVC), polyvinylcyclohexane, phenoxy type thermoplastic polymer,polyolefins, or phenoxy-polyolefin thermoplastic blends, thermoplasticelastomer (TPE), silicone, and ultra-low density polyethylene (ULPDE)resin, and copolymers or blends thereof.

According to certain embodiments of the present disclosure, the secondmaterial is preferably thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), silicone, or ULDPEresin. Common thermoplastic elastomers includes, but are not limited to,styrenic thermoplastic elastomer (TPS), thermoplastic rubber (TPR),thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO), thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU),thermoplastic vulcanizate (TPV), and thermoplastic polyester elastomer(TPEE). In one embodiment, the first material is polypropylene and thesecond material is thermoplastic polyurethane.

Regarding the injection molding process, the first and the secondmaterials may be injected simultaneously or sequentially with either thefirst or the second material being injected first. The simultaneousinjection of the first and second materials into a mold is commonlyknown as “dual injection” or “double injection.” Sequential injection oftwo or more injectants often involves injecting a first injectant into amold having a core and a first cavity to give a preform, removing fromthe first cavity the preform and the core, which is then inserted into asecond mold cavity, followed by injecting the second injectant over theexisting preform to form a one-piece article. The above-mentionedinjection molding techniques allow the manufacture of a one-piecearticle in which two or more injectants are bonded together. In thisway, there is no need to assemble or binding two or more parts togetherto form a whole article. These techniques offer numerous advantagesincluding, reduced cost (in terms of time, labor, and money), improvedpart reliability, and enhanced design flexibility.

In optional embodiments, the lid body further comprises a pattern layerdisposed on the outer surface of the cover portion. The pattern layercomprises one or more patterns; said patterns can be used to indicateany of the following: the material of the lid or abbreviation thereof,the resin identification code, warnings, temperature resistance, thename or trademark of the manufacture or buying party, etc, or for thedecorative purpose. In one embodiment, said pattern(s) in the patternlayer may be made by the first material; for example, the first materialforming the cover portion may be embossed to form one or more of saidpatterns. Alternatively, said patterns in the pattern layer may beformed from the second material, whereby forming pattern(s) that is ofdifferent material and/or color from that of the first material. Stillalternatively, a third material can be used to form one or more of saidpatterns; for examples, the third material can be thermoplasticmaterials comprising one or more thermochromics materials. In some otherembodiments, each pattern in the pattern layer may be formed from one ormore of the above-mentioned materials. Thermoplastic materials suitableto be blended with the thermochromics materials include, but are notlimited to, PP, PE, PVC, and silicone. Said thermochromics materials,upon in contact with a temperature higher than the activationtemperature thereof, turns from the first color to the second color, andwhen the temperature cools to below the activation temperature, itreturns from the second color to the first color. There are severalcommercially available theremochromic pigments. In application, thethird material can be used to prepare pattern(s) associated with thewarning signs (such as, hot, cautious, etc.), to enhance the warningeffect; alternatively, it can be used to make patterns associated withthe identification of the source (e.g., the vendor's name or trademark)or other decorative patterns. When using the third material to prepareall or a portion of the pattern layer, the third material may beinjected concurrently or sequentially with at least one of the first andsecond materials.

According to optional embodiments of the present disclosure, the lidbody further comprises one or more access holes disposed on the coverportion. The access hole is configured to allow the user access thecontent in the container once the present lid has been placed andsecured onto the container. For example, the access hole may be adrinking hole disposed near the peripheral of the cover portion so thatthe user may sip or suck the content from the container via the drinkinghole. Alternatively, the access hole may be configured to allow theinsertion of one or more utensils, such as, straw, spoon, stir stick,fork, etc. In some cases, the present lid may be configured with twoaccess holes respectively serving one of the above-mentioned purposes.

Still optionally, the lid body further comprises a cap that is connectedto the cover portion and configured to cover the access hole, in whichat least one portion of the cap is separable from the cover portion toexpose the access hole.

In optional embodiments, the present injection molded lid may furthercomprise a cap rim disposed along at least one portion of the peripheryof the cap for separably connecting the portion of the periphery of thecap with at least one portion of the periphery of the access hole. Tofacilitate the separation of the cap from the periphery of the accesshole, the thickness of the cap rim may be smaller than the thickness ofthe cap, or the cap and cap rim may be respectively made of the firstand the second materials.

Still optionally, the cap comprises a ridge, which may ease theseparation of the cap from the periphery of the access hole. Forexample, the user may exert a force on the ridge by pressing the ridgeupward or downward, so that at least a portion of the cap is separatedfrom at least a portion of the periphery of the access hole. Accordingto certain optional embodiments, the cover portion may further comprisea receptacle configured to accommodate the ridge, once the cap has beenlifted up from the original position.

In some optional embodiments, the present injection molded lid mayfurther comprise an air hole disposed on the lid body. For example, theair hole may be disposed on the cap covering the access hole.Alternatively, the air hole can be disposed on the cover portion of thelid body.

The following Examples, together with accompanied drawings, are providedto elucidate certain aspects of the present invention and to aid thoseof skilled in the art in practicing this invention. These Examples arein no way to be considered to limit the scope of the invention in anymanner. Without further elaboration, it is believed that one skilled inthe art can, based on the description herein, utilize the presentinvention fully. Also, it should be noted that owing to the drawingperspective, certain elements are not presented in some of the drawings.For example, some notches disposed on the second side wall of the flangeportion of the present injection molded lid may be hidden from sight.

FIG. 1A is a schematic diagram illustrating the container and lidassembly 10 in an unassembled condition, according to one embodiment ofthe present disclosure. As illustrated in FIG. 1A, the container and lidassembly 10 includes an injection molded lid 100 and a container, whichis depicted as a cup 180 in this particular example; however, thepresent invention is not limited thereto. FIGS. 1B, 1C, 1D, and 1E arerespectively the exploded view, top view, bottom view, andcross-sectional view of the injection molded lid 100 illustrated in FIG.1A.

The cup 180 has a cup body 182 and a rim 184; the rim 184 is disposed atthe top and along the periphery of the cup body 182 and defines an upperopening 186 of the cup 180.

The injection molded lid 100 comprises a lid body 110 and a securingmember 150. Although the lid body 110 and the securing member 150 areinjection molded as a one-piece article, in FIG. 1B, the lid body 110and the securing member 150 are depicted separately for the illustrationpurpose.

The lid body 110 comprises a cover portion 120 and a flange portion 130disposed around the periphery of the cover portion 120 for fitting overthe rim 184 of the cup 180 (see, FIG. 1A). In this embodiment, the coverportion 120 has a raised structure in which the uppermost point (orsurface) of the cover portion 120 is above the top of the flange portion130. Also, the cover portion is shaped cylindrically with a planar topsurface. However, the present injection molded lid is not limited tothis particular configuration.

The flange portion 130 comprises a first side wall 132 and a second sidewall 134. The first side wall 132 is connected with the periphery of thecover portion 120 (see, FIGS. 1C, 1D, and 1E). In this embodiment, thefirst side wall 132 and the second side wall 134 are not in directphysical contact with one another; rather, they are connected by thesecuring member 150. Accordingly, referring to FIG. 1B, if the securingmember 150 is separated from the lid body 110, a slit 135 is observedbetween the first side wall 132 and the second side wall 134. Asillustrated, the second side wall 134 has four notches 138 disposedthereon (FIG. 1B); however, the present disclosure is not limitedthereto, and the second side wall may have any suitable number ofnotches. The second side wall 134 also comprises at least one bulge 137(see, FIG. 1D), which is disposed at the inner surface thereof forengaging the injection molded lid 100 with the rim 184 of the container180. As illustrated in FIG. 1D, there are four bulges 137, each beingdisposed between two adjacent notches.

Regarding the securing member 150, it comprises a frame 152 and fourtabs 154. The frame 152 connects the upper sides of the first side wall132 and the second side wall 134. Together, the inner surfaces of thefirst side wall 132, the second side wall 134, and the frame 152 definean interior space S (see, FIG. 1D). The interior space S is configuredto accommodate and engage with the rim 184 of the container 180.

Each tab 154 extends downwardly from the side of the frame 152 along theouter surface of the second side wall 154 and covers one notch 138 (see,FIGS. 1B & 1D). In this case, both the notch 138 and the tab 154 arerectangular in shape; however, the present disclosure is not limitedthereto, and the notch may have a shape that is different from the shapeof the tab.

A pattern layer (not illustrated) may be optionally disposed on theouter surface of the cover portion 120. For example, the pattern layermay comprises one or more of the above-described patterns.

The injection molded lid 100 also comprises an optional access hole (notillustrated) disposed on the cover portion 120. In this example, theaccess hole is configured to allow the user sip or drink the content(e.g., beverage) in the cup 180 from the access hole once the presentinjection molded lid 100 is secured onto the container 180. Accordingly,the access hole is disposed in adjacent to the periphery of the coverportion. Still optionally, the present injection molded lid 100 furthercomprises a cap 142 that is configured to cover the access hole. A caprim 143 is disposed along at least one portion of the periphery of thecap 142 for separably connecting the cap 142 with at least one portionof the periphery of the access hole so that at least one portion of thecap 142 is separable from the cover portion 120 to expose the accesshole.

Optionally, the cap may further comprise a ridge 146 disposed thereon,in which the raised ridge 146 facilitates the separation of the cap 142from the periphery +of the access hole. Still optionally, the coverportion 120 comprises a receptacle 147, which is configured toaccommodate the ridge 146 when at least one portion of the cap 142 isseparated from the cover portion 120.

Although cup 180 illustrated in FIG. 1A is depicted as having acylindrical cross-sectional shape, the present disclosure is not limitedthereto, and the cup 180, as well as other containers, may have anydesired cross-sectional shape, such as, the oval, polygonal, orirregular shape. As could be appreciated, the injection molded lid 100is intended to be put atop the cup 180 to cover the opening 186 of thecup 180 and prevent the content held in the cup body 182 from beingspilled out of the cup 180 easily. Accordingly, as could be appreciated,the cross-sectional shape of the injection molded lid 100 shouldsubstantially match that of the cup 180.

Further, one purpose of the rim of the container is for engaging withthe injection molded lid. As illustrated in FIG. 1A, the rim 184 is aframe-like structure with a certain thickness that disposed around theperipheral of the cup body 182 at the top. However, the shape and thedimension of the rim may vary depending on the need(s) of themanufacturer, buying party, and/or consumer, as long as the structure ofthe rim allows the engagement with the present injection molded lid. Invarious optional embodiments, the upper surface of the rim may be curved(see, rim 284A of container 280A in FIG. 2A) or flat (e.g., rim 184 andrim 284B of container 280B in FIG. 2B). Also, the surface at the sideperiphery of the rim can be curved (rim 284A), flat (rim 284B), orotherwise patterned (not shown in the drawing). The lower edge of therim may be slanted toward (rim 284A) or away from (rim 284B) the cupbody, or parallel thereto ((not shown in the drawing).

FIGS. 3A to 3D illustrate an injection molded lid 300 according toanother embodiment of the present disclosure. As illustrated in FIG. 3B,the injection molded lid 300 comprises a lid body 310 and a securingmember 350.

The lid body 310 comprises a cover portion 320 and a flange portion 330disposed around the periphery of the cover portion 320 for fitting overthe rim of a corresponding container (such as, container 180 illustratedin FIG. 1A). The flange portion 330 comprises a first side wall 332, asecond side wall 334, and a top wall 336. The first side wall 332 isconnected with the periphery of the cover portion 330 (see, inparticular, FIG. 3D). The second side wall 334 comprises two bulges 337disposed at the inner surface thereof for engaging the injection moldedlid 300 with the rim of said container. The second side wall 334 alsohas two notches 338 disposed thereon (FIG. 3B). The top wall 336 has twoslits 335 disposed thereon, in which the position of each slit 335corresponds to the position of each notch 338 (FIG. 3B). Together, thetop wall 336, the first side wall 332, and the second side wall 324define an interior space S (FIG. 3D), which is configured to accommodateand engage with the rim of the corresponding container.

The securing member 350 comprises a frame 352, two tabs 354, and twoextension parts 353. The frame 352 is disposed within the interior spaceS and adjoins the top wall 336. Each extension part 353 extends from theframe 352 through the slit 335 and rests on the top wall 356. The tab354 extends downwardly from the extension part 353 along the outersurface of the second side wall 354 and convers the notch 338.

In this example, the width of the extension part 353 is substantiallythe same as the width of the slit 335 (see, FIGS. 3B and 3C). However,in certain optional embodiments, the extension part may further extendalong the top wall so that the width of the extension part is wider thanthat of the slit. In the case where the positon of the slit and theposition of the notch do not correspond to each other, the extensionpart may extend along the top wall of the flange portion until itreaches the position corresponding to the notch and from where, the tabextends downwardly to cover the notch; or the tab may extend downwardlyfrom the extension part at the slit, and then the tab extend along theperiphery of the second side wall until it covers the notch. Moreover,in some examples, the flange portion may be disposed with only one slit,and the extension part extending via the slit further extends along thetop wall of the flange portion, thereby forming an outer ring on the topwall, and one or more tab is extended downwardly at suitable position(s)to cover the notch(es).

A pattern layer (not illustrated) may be optionally disposed on theouter surface of the cover portion 320 of the injection molded lid 300.For example, the pattern layer may comprises one or more of theabove-described patterns.

As illustrated in FIGS. 3B to 3D, the cover portion 320 of the injectionmolded lid 300 may optionally comprise an access hole 340 covered by acap 342. A cap rim 343 is disposed along at least one portion of theperiphery of the cap 342, which allows the cap 342 to be separated fromthe at least one portion of the periphery 345 of the access hole 340.

The cover portion 320 of the injection molded lid 300 may optionallycomprise an air hole 344; in this embodiment, the air hole 344 isdisposed on the cap 342 (FIGS. 3B to 3D).

Another embodiment of the injection molded lid 400 of the presentdisclosure is depicted in FIG. 4A. FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional viewillustrating the injection molded lid 400 illustrated in FIG. 4A. Asillustrated in FIG. 4B, the injection molded lid 400 comprises a lidbody 410 and a securing member 450. FIG. 4C is a cross-sectional viewtaken along the line 4C-4C in FIG. 4A, which is provided to portray thestructural relationship between the lid body 410 and the securing member450.

The lid body 410 comprises a cover portion 420 and a flange portion 430disposed around the periphery of the cover portion 420 for fitting overthe rim of a corresponding container (such as cup 180 in FIG. 1A).Specifically, the flange portion 430 comprises a first side wall 432, asecond side wall 434, and a top wall 436. The first side wall 432 isconnected with the periphery of the cover portion 420. Together, theinner surfaces of the first side wall 432, the second side wall 434, andthe top wall 436 define an interior space S (see, FIG. 4C). The secondside wall 434 comprises six triangular notches 438 disposed thereon andspaced equidistantly around the periphery of the flange portion 430.

The securing member 450 comprises a frame 452 and six tabs 454 (see,FIG. 4B). The frame 452 is disposed within the interior space S andadjoins at least the inner surface of the top wall 436 of the flangeportion 430 of the lid body 410 (see, FIG. 40). Each tab 454 extendsdownwardly from the frame 452 along the inner surface of the second sidewall 434 (see, both FIGS. 4B and 4C). As illustrated in FIG. 4B, eachtab 454 has a frame-like structure comprised of two lateral sides 454Land one lower edge 454E, and the lower edge 454E of the tab 454 isdisposed across the bottom opening 438O of the notch 438. Also, each tab454 comprises two bulges 456 respectively disposed at two lateral sides454L thereof, which are used for engaging the injection molded lid 400with the rim of the container. In this case, the tab 454 is shapedframe-like two bulges 456 are respectively disposed on the two sides 455of the tab, Also, as illustrated, the notch 438 is triangular, while thetab 454 is rectangular; however, the present disclosure is not limitedthereto, and the notch and the tab may of the same shape in certainembodiments.

The flange portion 430 further comprises six pairs of ribs 439, whereineach rib 439 is disposed at one side of each notch 438 and along thelongitudinal direction of the second side wall 434, and two lateralsides 454L of each tab 454 are respectively disposed in the ribs 439.Also, the inner surface of the second side wall 434 is recessed toaccommodate the two lateral sides 454L of each tab 454 so that thecontacting surface of the two lateral sides 454L (i.e., the surfaceconfigured to be in contact with the rim of the container) is level withthe inner surface of the second side wall 434 that is not in contactwith the tab 454.

In this example, since each tab 454 is provided with one or more (inthis case, two) bulges 456 for engaging the injection molded lid 400with the container, it is not necessary for the second side wall 434 tohave the bulge. Yet, in this optional embodiment, the inner surface ofthe second side wall 434 is provided with several bulges 437 for furtherenhancing the engagement of the lid 400 with the container.

A pattern layer (not illustrated) may be optionally disposed on theouter surface of the cover portion 420 of the injection molded lid 400.For example, the pattern layer may comprises one or more of theabove-described patterns.

The cover portion 420 illustrated in FIG. 4A has a recessed area 426. Ascould be appreciated, this recessed area (as well as any other suitableconfigurations) may be designed to fulfill functional and/or aestheticneeds. For example, the recessed area 426 may be used to accommodate atea bag taken out from the container. An air hole 444 is also optionallydisposed on the cover portion 420. The cover portion 420 additionallycomprises an access hole 440 disposed in adjacent to the periphery ofthe cover portion 420. This access hole 440 allows the user sip/drinkthe content (e.g., beverage) in the container.

As could be appreciated, although various examples are provided aboveregarding the structures of the lid body and securing member of thepresent injection molded lid, the present invention is not limitedthereto; rather, the features disclosed in the above examples can becombined with one another or with other suitable features depending onthe need(s) of the manufacturers, buying parties, and/or consumers.

In view of the foregoing, the injection molded lids according to variousaspects/embodiments of the present disclosure is advantageous in atleast the aspects as follows. First, the present lids employ a novelsecuring member that has a frame and at least one tab; the frame permitsthe content (in particular, liquids, such as, beverages) to be consumedwhile reducing, if not minimizing, spillage of the content, while thetab provides additional securing means for preventing the present lidsfrom falling off the container. Also, the lid body of the present lidscomprises one or more notches that facilitate the placement of thepresent lid on top of the container; on the other hand, the tab of thesecuring member further protects the notch from splitting, therebyensuring the integrity of the present lid. Further, during use, someusers may remove the lid for various reasons and later put the lid backonto the container; the elasticity of the securing member allows suchaction of repeated engagement/disengagement. Last but not least, thepresent lids are produced by injection molding, which allows the massproduction of the lids at a low cost at a rate of hundreds, thousands,or even tens of thousands per hour. In conclusion, the presentdisclosure provides various injection molded lids that are inexpensiveto produce, and yet could provide enhanced performance in preventingleakage or spillage.

It will be understood that the above description of embodiments is givenby way of example only and that various modifications may be made bythose with ordinary skill in the art. The above specification, examples,and data provide a complete description of the structure and use ofexemplary embodiments of the invention. Although various embodiments ofthe invention have been described above with a certain degree ofparticularity, or with reference to one or more individual embodiments,those with ordinary skill in the art could make numerous alterations tothe disclosed embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope ofthis invention.

1-45. (canceled)
 46. An injection molded lid for use with a containerhaving an upper opening that is defined by a rim, comprising, a lidbody, made of a first material and comprising a cover portion and aflange portion disposed around the periphery of the cover portion forfitting over the rim of the container, wherein the flange portioncomprises a first side wall, a second side wall and a top wall, in whichthe first side wall is connected with the periphery of the coverportion, the second side wall comprises at least one notch disposedthereon, and the inner surfaces of the first and the second side wallsand the top wall define an interior space; and a securing member, madeof a second material and comprising a frame and at least one tab,wherein the frame is disposed within the interior space and adjoins atleast the top wall, the tab extends downwardly from the frame along theinner surface of the second side wall with the lower edge of the tabdisposed across the bottom opening of the notch, and the tab comprisesat least one bulge for engaging the injection molded lid with the rim ofthe container.
 47. The injection molded lid of claim 46, wherein the lidbody comprises a plurality of the notches, and the securing membercomprises a plurality of the tabs.
 48. (canceled)
 49. The injectionmolded lid of claim 46, wherein the number of the notch is equal to thenumber of the tab.
 50. The injection molded lid of claim 47, wherein thetab is configured to cover two or more notches.
 51. The injection moldedlid of claim 46, wherein, the first material and the second material aredifferent materials with a same color or different colors; or the firstmaterial and the second material are the same material but withdifferent colors.
 52. (canceled)
 53. The injection molded lid of claim46, wherein each of the first material and the second material isindependently selected from the group consisting of, polystyrene (PS),copolymers of carboxylic acid monomers with ethylene,polystyrene-acrylonitrile (PSAN), acrylonitrile-butadiene styrene (ABS),stryrene-maleicanhydride (SMA), cellulose ethers, polycarbonate (PC),polyethylene (PE), polyamides, polyethylene terephthalate (PET),polypropylene (PP), polyvinylcyclohexane, polyvinyl chloride (PVC),phenoxy type thermoplastic polymer, polyolefins, phenoxy-polyolefinthermoplastic blends, thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), silicone, andultra-low density polyethylene (ULDPE) resin, and copolymers or blendsthereof.
 54. (canceled)
 55. The injection molded lid of claim 46,wherein the first material is polypropylene and the second material ispolyurethane.
 56. The injection molded lid of claim 46, wherein the lidbody further comprises a pattern layer disposed on the outer surface ofthe cover portion.
 57. The injection molded lid of claim 56, wherein thepattern layer is made from the first material, the second material or athird material, or a combination thereof.
 58. The injection molded lidof claim 57, wherein the third material is a thermoplastic materialcomprising a theremochromic material.
 59. The injection molded lid ofclaim 46, wherein the inner surface of the second side wall comprises atleast one recessed area, and the tab is disposed in the at least onerecessed area.
 60. The injection molded lid of claim 46, wherein theflange portion further comprises at least one pair of ribs, wherein eachrib is disposed at one side of the notch and along the longitudinaldirection of the second side wall, and the two sides of the tab isdisposed in the ribs, respectively.
 61. The injection molded lid ofclaim 46, wherein the lid body further comprises an access hole disposedon the cover portion.
 62. The injection molded lid of claim 61, whereinthe lid body further comprises a cap connected to the cover portion andconfigured to cover the access hole, wherein at least one portion of thecap is separable from the cover portion to expose the access hole. 63.The injection molded lid of claim 62, further comprising a cap rim,disposed along at least one portion of the periphery of the cap forseparably connecting the portion of the periphery of the cap with atleast one portion of the periphery of the access hole.
 64. (canceled)65. The injection molded lid of claim 63, wherein the cap is made of thefirst material and the cap rim is made of the second material.
 66. Theinjection molded lid of claim 62, wherein the cap comprises a ridge, andthe cover portion further comprises a receptacle configured toaccommodate the ridge.
 67. (canceled)
 68. The injection molded lid ofclaim 46, further comprising an air hole disposed on the lid body. 69.The injection molded lid of claim 46, wherein the second side wallcomprises at least one bulge disposed at the inner surface thereof forengaging the injection molded lid with the rim of the container.
 70. Acontainer and lid assembly, comprising, a container, comprising acontainer body, a rim disposed at the top and along the periphery of thecontainer body, and an upper opening defined by the rim; and aninjection molded lid according to claim 46.